Norman, Beckham meet again, now as division rivals
Starting right tackle didn’t practice this week after suffering a calf injury in a win over the Saints last weekend. He’s been ruled out against Washington, which means Big Blue will likely turn to second-year man
to fill the void on the right edge of the offensive line. Hart replaced Newhouse at right tackle for the final 12 plays of the victory last Sunday, helping protect
during the final drive that capped off with a gamewinning field goal as time expired. Hart saw considerable action last season, both at guard and tackle, as the Giants offensive line suffered injuries across the board. He started at right tackle against the Jets when Newhouse sat out with a back issue. Whether Hart can step in and play at a high level Sunday will be an important storyline, especially given he’ll be facing some elite pass rushers like OLB
It’s here — the highly-anticipated rematch between Odell Beckham Jr. and Josh Norman, a Week 3 matchup the Giants were so amped up for that Janoris Jenkins and Victor Cruz were trash-talking Norman and Washington even before they beat the New Orleans Saints in Week 2. It’s here – the undefeated Giants (2-0) and winless Washington (0-2) in an early, must-see NFC East clash, with Washington players so desperate that Giants coach Ben McAdoo on Friday compared them to “hungry animals.” Yes, it’s already out of control, and kickoff is still to come. The main event, Beckham vs. Norman II, is producing pregame propaganda about how much Beckham has “grown” since last season’s embarrassing flipout on this same MetLife Stadium turf. But the fact is no one can accurately assess if that’s true until Beckham demonstrates maturity on Sunday.
So far, the only evidence we have suggests neither Beckham nor Norman truly has “moved on,” as every coach and player tried to convince us this week.
The two nemeses spent the offseason trading social media insults: Beckham saying Norman is only famous because of a runin with a star like him; Norman mocking Beckham as a baby and a one-catch wonder. On Wednesday, Norman chuckled when asked if he’s moved past Beckham’s spearing headshot last fall.
“God tells us to forgive all, so I’m working on that,” he said.
Then Friday, Beckham tweeted a link to a Bleacher Report article – reposted on Beckham’s own blog – that suggested the Beckham-Norman rivalry could compare to Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier.
Beckham can’t help himself; Norman can’t either. Their GPS systems are both pre-programmed for a crash course Sunday at 1 p.m. in North Jersey.
“It’s mental warfare,” Beckham said of Washington’s plans to get under his skin. “It’s the art of war.”
The game won’t be boring, but it will have to be managed and controlled, which is why the No. 1 man to watch on Sunday won’t be Beckham or Norman – it will be Giants head coach Ben McAdoo.
McAdoo will be juggling several delicate, high-profile issues in front of millions of fans and viewers. Calling the offensive plays – as he’s done the first two weeks after two seasons as offensive coordinator – will be a distant third on his list of top three most important responsibilities in this game.
Number two will be his handling of Beckham. Number one will be his leadership in the matter of player protest against